


Jump Then Fall

by CourageInImmensity



Series: Your Love Is A Song [2]
Category: Glee, Harry Potter - Fandom, My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult, One Tree Hill
Genre: Crossover, Death, F/M, Family, Gen, Glee - Freeform, Harry Potter - Freeform, Love, M/M, OTH - Freeform, Other, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 20:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20476940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageInImmensity/pseuds/CourageInImmensity
Summary: After taking a literal leap of faith on the count of two, the college years fly by in a series of romantic, goofy and tragic moments for Clay, Sara and their friends.





	1. On The Count Of Two

**On The Count Of Two**

"You are officially a wimp, Evans," Alex Walker teased his college roommate, climbing over the railing of the bridge they were standing on. A group of Duke University buddies were taking advantage of the sunny Saturday to prove their daring by diving off the bridge into the lake below.

"Am not, this stuff is totally in your blood man, we can't all be daredevils," Clay Evans protested weakly, curling his fingers tightly around the rail, without climbing over to the dangerous side. Alex grinned, revealing perfect white teeth and flexed his muscles proudly. There was no way those nerves of steel were down to anything but his Italian roots, Clay mused, flinching as Alex somersaulted off the railing. That was it; all his friends were out of sight in the water way too far below him now, damn. "Peer pressure ladies and gentlemen," Clay muttered under his breath to no one in particular.

"Tell me about it." The faint voice of agreement came from his left and Clay looked up with a start. Staring wide-eyed over the rail at the water was a girl. He took in her simple, pink sleeveless top and tiny shorts with a sweeping gaze and decided instantly that the blonde was pretty.

"I can tell you it's a long way down," he grinned at her and the girl rolled her deep hazel eyes at him, before glancing down at the water again.

"I can see that, Einstein," she said, biting her lip nervously. "I'm really not a big fan of heights, and you are not helping!"

"I heard Einstein lacked social skills to make up for his genius," Clay replied conversationally. "I hope I'm not that bad, the name's Clay by the way."

"You're not too bad, I suppose." She managed a shy smile; "I'm Sara." Almost immediately her gaze darted back to the motion of the waves below them. "I really wish my roommates could have been happy with something a little tamer. What's wrong with say, beer pong or even streaking?"

"Perfectly awesome college traditions right there," he agreed fervently. "Curse of the daredevil roomies this is." Clay followed her terrified gaze to the water below, gulped and glanced back at Sara again. "You wanna do this together?" he suggested. He clambered over the railing and held out his hand to help her.

"Traitor," she squealed, shaking like a leaf and clinging to the rail harder than ever.

"Come on," Clay said encouragingly. "Your friends will leave you behind if you don't," he pointed out. "You can do it!"

Sara resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut with difficulty as she climbed over the rail with Clay's help. "If I survive this, I'm so killing my roommate," she grumbled.

"Murder doesn't seem like your style, pinky," he joked, toying with the loose shoulder strap of her top as she pressed back against the rail in terror. The only way to go from this side was down, a very long way down.

"How would you know my style?" she protested, side-stepping out of his reach. "Bad boy!"

"I'm not really, that's just a very cute top you're wearing," he smirked. "Anyway, stop changing the subject. We were about to jump, I believe?"

A faint blush had made Sara's cheeks match her pale pink top for a split second, but his last words ignited her fear again. Clay sidled closer to her and held out his hand; "On the count of two?" he suggested, holding her scared gaze for a moment.

"What? Nobody goes on the count of two!" she objected quickly, tearing her brown eyes away from his face to stare at the lapping water below them again.

"I know," Clay shrugged. "It can be our thing, something to tell the grandkids about years from now."

"I would have been perfectly happy to share a story about streaking across the quad," she sighed.

"Oh gross," he groaned. "No kid wants to hear that from their grandparents, trust me."

Sara looked right at him again and giggled, inching her pale fingers carefully along the railing behind them until she could reach his hand. "On the count of two?" she said timidly.

Clay smiled widely at her, that laugh was just about the cutest thing he'd ever heard. "You're on," he said, grasping her hand and aiming a final steely gaze at the intimidating mass of water below them. "One…," he started, swinging their joined hands to and fro, so they each had one hand remaining on the rail.

"Two," said Sara in a voice pitched high with fear. With that, the pair lurched away from the railing at last and dived bravely into the lake below. Their joined hands broke apart at the colossal splash when they collided with the water, and for a moment the force of the water blinded Clay. Sara's breathless laughter sounded somewhere to his left, and by the time his eyes managed to pop open she was paddling in triumphant circles around him. "Oh goodness, tell that to the grandkids indeed," she giggled.

"How badass were you, girl?" he grinned back. Just like that, the shy edge to Sara's peals of laughter fell away, and she braced her hands on his shoulders. Her rosy lips were pressed against Clay's before he knew what was happening, but he responded eagerly soon enough. They broke apart only at the loud wolf-whistles from their friends, somehow already back on the bridge they had taken so long to jump from.

"Definitely one to tell the grandkids, right there." Sara paddled away from him with a teasing wink, leaving Clay staring after her utterly intrigued. Oblivious to his awe, the blonde was already gaping up at the bridge; "Is that your roomie making out with mine by any chance?"

Clay followed her gaze and instantly rolled his eyes; Alex was leaning against the bridge railing holding a slim brunette against him. "If that's your roomie then yes it is," he said. "If Alex has his way with her you won't have to murder her, he's a heart-breaker."

"Poor thing," said Sara unconvincingly, her deep brown eyes were glinting mischievously.

A few of their less promiscuous friends were looking down at the water with interest and Clay smirked; "Who says they get to have all the fun? You up for another round, pinky?"

"It's Sara, you goof," she giggled, glancing self-consciously down and her now wet and transparent tank top. "And that depends on another round of what; I'm not jumping off the damn bridge again!"

"Not what I had in mind," Clay admitted and swam closer to her again. He wrapped his arms around her and gently started sucking on her lips, begging wordlessly for entry.

"That I can do," Sara gasped and returned the kiss to cheers from their watching friends. "Who knew counting to two could have so many benefits?"

"Told you so," Clay moaned triumphantly between kisses. "Have a little faith next time, pinky."

"You really are a knucklehead," she murmured in exasperation. "If you're looking for a next time, learn my name!"

"I was hoping for one," he said sincerely. "Strange to go through the count of two and leave it at a chance meeting, that's my special thing you know. And your name is lovely, Sara No-Last-Name," he added sweetly.

"Sara Kay," she laughed, shivering when the sun disappeared suddenly behind a cloud. "Can we get out of here, please?"

"Not until Sara Kay promises Clay Evans another date," he grinned, holding onto her wrist triumphantly.

"I don't see how the count of two equals two dates, but okay," she conceded. He was too mesmerized by her to point out this chance meeting wasn't exactly a date.

The clouds continued to darken abruptly above them; "Hurry up you two," their friends urged from the bridge overhead.

"Race you to land?" Sara suggested and took off with strong, confident strokes before he could even nod. Clay followed her quickly, thinking all the way that missing out seeing this girl again was not an option. A stupid stunt and daring room-mates had resulted in an absolutely fateful encounter they would both be telling their grandkids about one day, no matter what.


	2. Fast Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The anxiety of jumping off a bridge in the company of daredevil room-mates gives the new bunch of college friends quite an appetite, for food and each other's personal business.

**Fast Friends**

As dark clouds descended over Durham, the group of bridge-diving Duke University students huddled together in a small fast food joint near their campus. Alex had charmed Sara's room-mate Jessica into the seat opposite him and was mischievously waving a French fry covered with ketchup in her face. "I envy your metabolism, sweetie," the brunette sighed, throwing Sara's plate an envious glance. "Cassie will have my head if I touch that thing." She glared darkly at the smirking Alex, while Sara just nodded absently, focused on twisting her damp hair into a loose plait. Both girls were majoring in dance, and their ballet teacher was famous for her impeccable standards and a no-nonsense attitude.

"Stop tormenting her," Sara snapped at the dark-haired flirt on her friend's behalf, tossing the plait over her shoulder for dramatic effect.

"Feisty," Alex grinned appreciatively at the blonde. "Not stopping anything until she sticks up for herself, I love the accent." Jessica almost choked on her water at the random confession, and Clay stopped staring at Sara long enough to pat her on the back. "Where are you from, pretty lady?" Alex asked, mimicking her thick, obviously British accent.

"I hate you," she groaned, snatching up a fry remorsefully from Alex's plate. "And I'm from England, happy now?" Alex continued to smile charmingly at her and Sara rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Clay.

"Is he always this bad?" she asked curiously.

"I warned you, total heart-breaker," Clay shrugged dismissively, glancing sympathetically at Jessica, whose exasperated glare was softening quickly. "But enough about him, I hope you know this doesn't qualify as our date, Sara Kay."

"Is that so?" Sara challenged, tilting her head and staring him down with adorably raised eyebrows.

"You bet missy, I'm not sharing a pretty girl like you with this lot," he promised, gesturing at the two tables pushed together to accommodate the Duke students. "No way, I'm taking you out properly."

"Flattery won't work on me," Sara replied firmly, but her bright smile contradicted the words. She reached over and swiped some ketchup from the corner of Clay's plate, popping the French fry into her mouth with a teasing smirk as he continued to stare at her. "What are you staring at, knucklehead? Do I have something on my face?"

"Just there," Clay murmured, pressing a napkin into her hand. Swiping away the stray ketchup on the corner of her lips only happened in movies after all. The fact was, the sight of her face did something to his insides, a pleasurable squirm of positive energy almost. It had started with the fleeting gaze of pure terror she had given him on the bridge, and now he couldn't look away if he wanted to. "I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "You're beautiful."

"Thanks," she said quietly, the return of her flushed cheeks proved she knew he wasn't flattering her for the sake of it. Good thing too, he could hardly believe he had said that out loud. Clay stared down at his plate with a nervous smile and Sara watched him with interest. The sincerity was more flattering than anything she could hear Alex still persistently throwing at Jessica, on her left. "I still can't believe I actually did that jump," Sara said, at last breaking the awkward silence. "I wasn't kidding, life-long fear of heights here," she confessed. "I never even fly unless I have to."

"Seriously?" Clay took the bait gratefully. "You must be from nearby then; I get the feeling most people at this college fly in from all over the place." He nodded to their left; "Look at your roomie, for example."

"Yeah," she agreed. "I'm from Raleigh actually, only about half an hour's drive from here. It's convenient because I wasn't too keen on leaving home anyway."

"No way!" Clay exclaimed; "I'm from Raleigh too, small world," he smiled. "So your family's clingy, huh? I try and go home a fair bit too, my Dad passed away last year so Mom's by herself now."

"I'm sorry," Sara said sympathetically. "That must be hard for her. Are you an only child?"

He shook his head; "I have two older sisters actually, they're twins. Both settled down in England though so it doesn't really do Mom much good. In that sense, it's just me who's close enough to look out for her."

"That's so sweet," Sara smiled. "I have an older sister too; she's totally my best friend. I guess that's part of the reason I didn't even consider going to college further away from home," she mused. "I'd definitely miss my folks too much. It's nice being able to go home so easily. My sister Izzie is so hoping that I follow in her footsteps. She was a dancer, you know."

"She wouldn't think much of me then," Clay laughed; "I can't dance to save my life, pretty much been disappointing my sisters since the day I was born."

"Yeah, you don't strike me as the ballet type necessarily," Sara giggled and the way her amusement made her hazel eyes twinkle captivated his gaze all over again. A frustrated groan on his left jerked Clay from his trance and he reluctantly turned to rescue Jessica from Alex's relentless attempts to charm her into submission.

"Dude, give it a rest already," he muttered at his room-mate in exasperation.

"She likes it," Alex protested, winking playfully at Jessica.

The slender brunette blushed at the undeniably charming smirk, but her obvious disapproval severely contrasted Sara's sweet smile. "You wish, buddy," she said, rolling her eyes at the exaggerated flirting. She turned to Clay with a relieved sigh; "Thanks for that, this one's impossible to shake."

"You learn to ignore him," Clay assured her; "Sorry he made you wreck your diet," he nodded at the pile of fries Alex had tipped insistently onto her plate.

"Not looking," Jessica insisted, keeping her pale blue eyes locked on his face. "So, your sister moved to England, huh?"

"Two sisters, but yeah, settled in Surrey," he nodded. "I'm half English actually; my Mom's family is from there. So eventually both my sisters decided they liked it better over there and just skipped continents permanently after their studies. They both have husbands and kids now, the whole works. You must miss it."

"Of course," Jessica smiled; "It's home. I have a brother too but I haven't really had a best friend since primary school. It was a boy then and at that age, things change all the time," she sighed, shaking her head at the misfortunes of growing up. "All aboard for the crazy college experience now, bring it on America!"

"That's elementary school, hon," Sara translated the British term and Jess rolled her eyes again.

"He's half English, Sara, I doubt you have to translate my lingo for this one."

"Whatever you say, honey," the blonde laughed, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. To Clay, she added; "Dude, trust me, you don't want to let this one start raving about her former best friend, James Potter. She's kind of unstoppable on a roll."

Now it was Clay's turn to choke on his soft drink; "James Potter?" he spluttered incredulously, as Jessica returned the earlier favor and thumped him on the back.

"That's what I just said," Sara raised her eyebrows at him again and Clay had to concentrate extremely not to let her cuteness distract him.

"Uncontrollable black hair, blind as a bat without his big round glasses, prankster king James Potter?" he reiterated curiously.

"How on earth did you know that?" Jessica squealed admiringly. She gave Sara a long, pointed look as if to say "this one is a keeper" with her eyes only, but her friend ignored it.

Both girls stared at Clay curiously and he grinned and said simply; "He's my brother-in-law now, only met him at my sister Lily's wedding the one time but she's very happy with him." From that moment on, Clay Evans had both Sara and Jessica hooked on his every word and neither girl noticed Alex's frustrated huff at his completely wasted efforts.


	3. The Pep Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nervous about contacting Sara again after jumping off a bridge holding her hand, Clay calls his favourite sister Lily for dating advice.

**The Pep Talk**

"Let me guess, still staring at the phone?" said Alex cockily, when he wandered into the dorm room he shared with Clay and found his room-mate eyeing his cell phone warily. "The worst she can say is no, you know. You've even kissed already."

"Not helping, dude," Clay scowled at his over-confident friend. "That was different, maybe the kiss was adrenaline-fueled or something. She was as freaked about jumping off that bridge as I am right now."

"Well, that should put it into perspective then." Alex took a seat on Clay's swiveling desk chair opposite the bed and spun to face him with an annoying smirk. "She can't bite over the phone, you know. A no is literally the worst that could happen."

"That's easy for you to say, Jess has no self-control around you. Sara is different."

"How different, really?" said Alex, holding up his fingers to make a list. "Both dancers, both hot, both…"

"Cut it out!" Clay snapped, looking so frustrated that Alex finally stopped teasing him.

"You really like this girl, don't you?" he said simply and Clay nodded. "Then what is there to be so worried about? I don't get it."

"I just never thought a girl like her would ever even kiss me. If I call and she says no it'll just ruin a great memory, you know? I'm torn between another leap of faith and letting a good thing stay…untainted, I guess."

"Jeez Evans, you think too much." Alex shook his head in disbelief, leaning on his elbows against the backrest of the chair. "There is another option you're apparently not considering in all this. She might say yes."

"Why would she do that though?" Clay argued skeptically and his room-mate rolled his dark eyes impatiently.

"Did you play football in high school by any chance, dude?"

Clay shook his head. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if a concussion in the recent past was likely because you're being ridiculous."

"Uncalled for," Clay huffed and moved towards the door. It would have been the perfect dramatic exit if the lock hadn't jammed and Alex' snickers just infuriated him even more. "Thanks for nothing, Lex."

"Anytime, buddy," his room-mate called after him and then the door slammed and Clay found himself in the hallway still at a complete loss for what to do.

His fingers seemed to know what he needed before his brain could catch up because the next thing he knew he had dialled his older sister's number in England. Mercifully it was Lily who picked up the phone; Clay didn't fancy explaining girl troubles to his brother-in-law James either. "Potter residence, this is Lily."

"Serious question, Flo: Why did you have to move to another freaking continent? I have a very big problem here!"

"Hello to you too, ducky," she giggled at his agitated tone. "What is this oh so massive problem, hmm?"

"It's about a girl," Clay admitted; "Her name is Sara. We met last month when some mutual friends dragged us bridge-jumping into a local lake."

"Bridge-jumping? As in jumping off a bridge?"

"That does define bridge-jumping, Lils," he echoed in exasperation. "Can we focus on the real issue here, please? Girl alert! A seriously beautiful girl no less, who held my hand when we jumped off the bridge and then we kissed in the water."

"Who are you and what have you done with my little brother?" Lily teased, enjoying the moment before he groaned desperately. "Alright, I'm sorry, being serious now."

"Thank you! The point is I'm kind of freaking out about calling her. I know it's stupid, since like Alex pointed out we've even kissed already. But that moment was so perfect, the bridge and the kiss and the group lunch afterwards that I kind of don't want to ruin it."

"What could possibly ruin that? It sounds like a dream to me and you're talking to a happily married woman."

"Well good because I can't marry you, that's just gross," Clay laughed at her relaxed tone, although his own nerves were still on edge. "Lily…what if she says no? I don't think I could handle it. Call me crazy but I just keep wondering what Dad would have done, you know? It's been a year now and I still wish he was here."

"Of course you do, honey," she sighed; "I feel that way every time I look at my girl. She's only two now but she'll only ever have stories of her grandfather. It's not even close to fair and we both know it."

"Normally I'd be all over stories of Lulu, but I really am desperate here. What do I do, Flo?"

"You call her," said Lily simply. "And I bet deep down you know exactly what Dad would have told you do, right?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "I bet Mom got plenty of phone calls on the count of two when they were dating. I told Sara to jump off the bridge on the count of two, actually. She was horrified because it gave her less time to be freaked out, but I said it could be our thing."

"Well damn, what do you need me for, dude? That is totally smooth, way to go!"

"But that was then," Clay argued apprehensively. "I already had this conversation with Alex. What if the kiss was just a thrill of the moment thing? I mean, we got along well enough at lunch after, but what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"Now you're just looking for reasons not to call, chicken," Lily teased him. "Clay, you'll always find reasons not to do something if you really want to. But if you really do like this girl so much, man up and make that call. She'd be lucky to have you if you ask me."

"You really think so?" he said skeptically. "And you're not just saying that as my favorite sister?"

"Of course not, that's an added bonus," she promised fondly. "Then again Tuney's barely competition, right?"

"Right," he agreed faintly. "Man, I wish you were here, Lils."

"I'll cross my fingers long distance if it helps," she told him. "Don't sell yourself short, ducky. There might be any number of reasons for her to say no to another date, but there are definitely more reasons to say yes. You're kind of awesome and I'm not gonna let you forget it, okay?"

"Okay," he echoed and she could hear the tense edge of self-doubt leaving his voice now. "Thanks Flo, I owe you one."

"You owe me way more than one if we're really counting, sweetie," she shot back affectionately. "Good luck with the call. We'll Skype tomorrow, okay? I better go, I hear my two-year-old protesting bedtime."

"She needs Mommy as much as I do, lucky girl is still allowed tantrums," Clay laughed. "Bye sis, love you."

"You've got this, rockstar," she said firmly and hung up, leaving her brother feeling considerably calmer about what his heart was telling him to do next.

"On the count of two," he whispered to himself, stashing his phone away as he made his way towards the girls' dorms. This was a conversation better had in person, he decided, and the rest was in the hands of a gorgeous blonde ballerina.


	4. The Costume Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara's over-enthusiastic room-mate insists that she dresses up as Catwoman for a costume party. Embarrassment soon turns to delight when she realizes how much the look appeals to Clay's dorky side.

**The Costume Party**

Elsewhere in the university living quarters, Sara Kay and her best friend Jessica almost felt as if they were in one of their dance classes. The reason for this was the soon to be nineteen-year-old girl who lived across the hall from them. "Twirl girlies, twirl!" Amanda Watson clapped her hands enthusiastically. "The rent on these costumes isn't peanuts you know, it's gotta look epic."

"Aren't you a little old for costume parties?" Sara shifted uncomfortably under the raven-haired girl's scrutinizing gaze and fiddled with the cat ears on her headband. "I feel ridiculous."

"You look like a total babe," said Amanda dismissively. "There's no such thing as too old for heroics."

"What heroics could a couple of college girls possibly get up to?" Jessica's curly brown locks bounced as she stared skeptically down at the Supergirl logo across her own chest. "She's got a point, Mandy. This thing is so tight."

"It's supposed to be tight, silly," the birthday girl said airily. "Have you ever seen a saggy superhero costume? You both look awesome!" She stroked her chin thoughtfully, staring into space for a moment. "The only thing this party is missing is boys and it'll be a blast."

"Oh my God," Sara groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You're determined to embarrass us, aren't you?"

"Have you heard from your cute bridge jumping buddy?" asked Amanda, as if Sara hadn't spoken at all.

"No, I haven't." Sara gave Jessica an annoyed shove when her room-mate smirked knowingly. "You shut up."

"I didn't say anything," the British girl protested. "I've heard plenty from that friend of his, Alex. It's a bit annoying, actually."

"Well you did have his tongue in your mouth," Sara pointed out. "It would be weird if he didn't call after that."

"By that logic, Clay should be calling you too, missy," Jessica argued. "I was a little busy myself but there were plenty of witnesses to the kiss of the scaredy-cats."

"Jessie!" Sara squirmed uncomfortably under the amused gazes of her girlfriends. "There was no tongue, ugh! It was…sweet and exciting and kind of wonderful actually."

Amanda had been watching the exchange with a far too eager glint in her dark eyes. "What are the odds your boys have friends?" she mused. "This has excellent potential you two, I knew I roped you in for a reason."

"Boys were never part of the deal, Mandy." Sara looked down at her hands and although the squabbling was exhausting, she couldn't help but smile. Stroking her fingers she could almost feel Clay's touch, equal parts needy and firm just before they launched into the lake.

"Anything that can make you blush like that has got to be part of the deal, Sara Kay." Amanda turned to pick up the prop that went with her costume, a fake sai sword, and pointed it at the blonde. "Now stop arguing with me, Catwoman. I happen to be the badass Elektra and just because I haven't found my Daredevil yet doesn't mean I won't, you mark my words."

"Oh sure, you get to be the one with a weapon." Jessica's tone was exasperated but her grip was firm when Sara scrambled nervously as far away from the blade as she could. "Fine, we'll get you boys at this party if you put that thing down." When Amanda lowered the blade with a triumphant smile, the British girl looked at Sara. "Hand me my cell phone from my bag, would you? Better get Alex on board with this thing before this one goes all Queen Of Hearts on our heads."

"I resent that, Parker." Amanda scowled, but before she could say anything else there was a knock at their front door. "I'll get that," the birthday girl squealed and ran to answer it, still clutching her sai sword in one hand. At the sight before her, the enthusiastic cosplayer couldn't help her grin growing even wider. "Oh, this is just perfect!"

With his nerves on edge, the beaming girl dangling a sai sword at her side threw Clay for a loop. "Um, hello," he stammered; "I'm Clay; we might have met at the bridge jump stunt last Saturday? I was looking for Sara." He eyed the sword in her hand nervously; "Is this a bad time?"

"Absolutely not," said the dark-haired girl eagerly. "Your timing could not be more brilliant actually. Come inside!"

At the familiar voice shaking with nerves being coerced into their quarters by Amanda's forwardness, Sara exchanged a terrified grimace with Jessica as the British girl nudged her to her feet. "She did not just do that," the blonde groaned, quickly yanking the cat ears off her head. "How creepy do I look? God, I'm going to kill Mandy!"

"You look fine, honey," Jessica assured her. "Maybe he has a thing for sexy cat ladies?"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sara snapped, but before her room-mate could say another word, Amanda peeked into the bedroom with an entirely too excited smile plastered on her face. "Sara, Mr. Bridge Jumping Cutie is here to see you."

"You'll pay for this, Amanda," Sara hissed as she slunk past the birthday girl reluctantly. In the tight costume, her heart pounding felt even more uncomfortable than usual when she laid eyes on Clay hovering awkwardly in the common living room. "Hey stranger," she said softly and the stunned look in his dark blue eyes made her wish the ground would open and swallow her up. "Sorry about this, my friend Amanda desperately wants to have a costume party for her birthday coming up."

"Was she aiming that sword at you too?" he laughed and rather than feel more humiliating, the sound somehow put her at ease. "That girl is scary."

"I know, right? You got here just in time; Jessica and I were beginning to fear for our lives. Or, you know, our freedom of speech at the very least."

"Glad to be of service." He eyed her in awed silence for a moment. "I think the costume helps actually. I was so nervous about calling you again, but you look so awesome right now I'm glad I came over."

"I'm glad you did, too," said Sara softly. "Plus you put us out of our misery back there; Amanda was one step away from holding Jessica hostage until she gets Alex to come to this party. She's scary and boy-crazy, that one."

"For what it's worth, I think you look fabulous," Clay shrugged. "I know I for one am gonna be thanking Amanda, even though she answered the door practically aiming her sword at me."

"Um, thanks." Sara's nervous smile took him back to the day of the bridge jump. "So how have you been?"

"Thinking about how it felt to be holding your hand quite a lot, actually," Clay told her without thinking and instantly flushed. "Shit, was that too much?"

"That was very sweet, actually," Sara smiled and took a step closer to him. "Would you stop shaking? I'm the one in a freaking Catwoman costume here, it could have sent you running for the hills."

"That's probably the last thing that could send me running, I promise," said Clay solemnly, but he couldn't help his fingers still trembling when she slipped her hand into his.

"Just in case you need a reminder of how it felt," she winked, squeezing his fingers lightly. "This hand got me through a very scary stunt last Saturday; I kind of owed it another touch."

"That is one very grateful hand," he said, returning the gentle caress. "What about the other part?"

"Other part?" she echoed teasingly, his obvious nerves somehow making it easier to ignore the embarrassing outfit she had been caught in since he was so clearly a fan. "Remind me which part you mean?"

"I think you know," he moaned and then his fingers pressed against the arch of her back, so firmly that she leaned back with the flexibility of an actual cat. Sara tuned out Amanda and Jessica's giggles as they peeked out of the bedroom, the only thing that mattered was making another memory of the way Clay's lips felt on hers, warm but somehow desperate and tender all at once.

"Oh, that other part," she laughed when he finally released her and stepped back with a mesmerizing sparkle in his deep blue eyes. "Tell me something," she said at last and he tilted his head and eyed her with a curious smile.

"Yeah?"

"Did you knock on the count of two?"

"You remember that part?" he groaned and Sara found it really was flustering him that made her feel more at ease. "I'm sorry, I'm such a cheeseball."

"I really like that, actually. Like you said, it can be our thing, right?"

"Our thing?" he echoed in awe. "So we officially have a thing now? We are a thing?"

"We are a thing," she confirmed. "If that's what you want, anyway."

"Does that mean you'll go out with me wearing this costume?" he grinned, looking like a little boy on Christmas morning.

"Don't push your luck, pal," she said, shoving him playfully in the chest. But when Amanda and Jessica's giggles gave away the fact that they were still watching her every move, she grabbed the front of his shirt forcefully. "What do you say we give these crazy room-mates of mine something more interesting to watch?" Before he could respond she kissed him again and this time there was most definitely tongue. "Now you're gonna have to be my Batman to Amanda's party," she gasped when the need for air became too great. "It was a trap and you are so busted!"

"If you think being Batman is a punishment for me then you have a lot to learn, Sara Kay."

"I can't wait," she said, leaning into his arms with a contented sigh. "Teach away, Mr. Evans."


	5. Library Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara storms into the college library distraught when she loses a cherished photograph. Even though her sister is on death's doorstep, it might just be her lucky day as far as her love life is concerned.

**Library Love**

"No running in the library," snapped the elderly librarian at the welcome desk of Lilly's without looking up from her computer. It was the most common haunt for the creatively inclined students at Duke University, hosting an impressive collection of art and history study resources.

"Sara, calm down," Jessica Parker urged, gripping the hassled blonde's shoulders firmly when her roommate skidded to a halt in front of the crabby Mrs. Turner's desk. "We'll get the book back, don't worry." She tucked a loose strand of her long brown hair behind her ear and glanced at the old woman glaring at them through beady eyes from behind wire-rimmed glasses. "Hi, Mrs. Turner," she said cheerfully. "How are you on this fine day?"

"It's Monday and I have the entire art history shelf to catalogue before the section is renovated, how do you think I am?" the woman snapped irritably. "The area is already closed to students, Miss Kay," she warned Sara, who had pulled away from Jessica's soothing grip and was walking hastily towards the shelf where she knew the book she needed was located.

"I know, ma'am," the blonde nodded shakily. "When Jessica returned our books this morning one of the ones I was using had a very personal bookmark in it. I don't want to borrow anything…I just need to get that back, please," she begged desperately.

"What bookmark?" Jessica asked curiously, now ignoring the scowl on the librarian's face. "You never mentioned that. You just kind of freaked out on me back at the dorm."

"I know, I'm sorry," Sara told her, still staring pleadingly at the stern Mrs. Turner. "It was one of the last pictures I took with Izzie before she started looking really ill. It's as special to her as it is to me, I can't lose that picture!"

"Can't you do something, Mrs. Turner?" Jessica appealed to the librarian on her friend's behalf. "Her older sister has cancer, you know," she explained, lowering her voice before adding. "Who knows how many more pictures they'll have together?"

"I really can't afford to go making a mess back there, Miss Parker," the librarian told her, but her strict gaze did finally soften when Sara turned her back on them, shaking and none too subtly swiping stray tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, but it's a lot more trouble to locate the book she needs than it's worth."

"Please, Mrs. Turner, I'm begging you to help me find that bookmark," Sara tried again, unable to stop her voice trembling with desperation now.

Before the older woman could respond to the pleas, the sound of footsteps tapping down the stairs from the quiet study area above made both girls look up. Before long, Sara's long-time boyfriend Clay Evans emerged from behind a towering mahogany shelf. "Hey girls," he said, shooting the pair of them a tired smile. "Thought I heard your voices, how's it going?"

"Not bad," Jessica shrugged casually. "You look like hell, mate. No offence," she giggled, eyeing his messy sandy hair.

"Too wiped out to be offended, it's your lucky day," Clay told her with a half-hearted eye roll. "Uh…Sara, are you okay?"

The blonde nodded quickly and pointed at the thick book he was clutching to his chest. "Is that the new Picasso biography?" she asked faintly.

"Yeah," Clay grimaced; "This dude is kicking my ass, art history is what we call a necessary evil."

"Speak for yourself, Evans," Jessica smirked at him, flinching when Sara suddenly gripped her arm hard. "Ouch! Sara, what the hell?"

"That's the book I just had…the one with the picture in it," the blonde explained hastily, her words tripping over each other in the intense relief of the moment.

"What are you talking about?" Clay asked with a perplexed frown.

"Do you mind if I take a quick look at that?" Sara asked urgently, reaching for the book with shaking hands. "It's really important."

"Go ahead," he shrugged and handed the book to her. Mrs. Turner had returned to her computer during the entire exchange and now spared Sara a scandalized glance when the blonde began to rifle manically through the pages of the book. "What are you looking for?" Clay asked when she was done and the brief flicker of hope in her hazel eyes had dimmed once more.

"Did you happen to find a picture of me somewhere in this book?" she asked hopefully.

"Picasso was a bit before your time, don't you think?" he laughed, but quickly stopped at the grim look on her face. "Okay…sorry, bad joke. Um…what kind of picture is it?"

"It was of me and my sister," Sara explained wearily. "You remember me telling you about Izzie, right? So this is one of the last really nice pictures of us. It's of the two of us in our garden back home in Raleigh, we were wearing daisy chains. Have you seen it?"

"Sara, I don't think that's-," Jessica began gently, feeling guilty that her returning all their books at once had inadvertently caused her friend so much distress. But then Clay smiled sheepishly and the comprehension dawning on his face cut her off mid-sentence. "Okay…dude, am I missing something here?"

"My brains must be more fried than I thought," Clay murmured vaguely, dropping his backpack on the floor with a thud and tugging open an outer zip. "I totally found that. I was going to come and find you later to give it back…I guess this is a lucky meeting."

"How is that possible?" Jessica mused; glancing up at the watchful librarian's perpetually disapproving expression. "You said we couldn't check the book out. How come he got to use it if the section was off limits?"

"He didn't check it out," the older woman explained irritably. "And also didn't whine I might add," she said with a pointed glance at Sara. "I have no problem with people actually studying upstairs." The rest of the grouchy old woman's justifications faded into a sudden gasp of horror. "I do have a problem with that, Miss Kay!"

Jessica whipped around at the librarian's outraged expression and grinned. Overwhelmed by relief to have her treasured photograph back, Sara had tackled Clay so suddenly she almost knocked him flat. Her curtain of blonde hair partially obscured their faces so that only the tips of his ears were visible, glowing a tell-tale red. The British brunette stepped up next to Sara and snapped her fingers; "Oi! Break it up, Romeo and Juliet. You guys are going to give poor Mrs. T a heart attack here," she laughed when her friends parted, both blushing.

"I'll take that as a thank you, huh?" Clay teased, slipping an arm around Sara's shoulders affectionately. "Sorry Mrs. Turner, we'll get out of your hair now."

"Oh, you have no idea," Sara said fervently. "That doesn't even begin to cover how much I need to thank you for this, really."

"Don't mind me, guys," Jessica called after the pair, very familiar with the deep connection Clay and Sara shared that made them oblivious to anything else. "Cheer up, Mrs T, young love is pretty, eh?" she smirked at the librarian and skipped out of the library on her own.

"How about some ice cream to un-fry those brains of yours?" Sara suggested, her hazel eyes sparkling with pure adoration. "My treat, I so owe you for finding my picture."

"You need to lose things more often if this is the thanks I get," Clay joked as they stepped out onto the sunny campus grounds. "Ice cream sounds great."

"As long as you're not on my list of things I could lose, I'm okay with that," Sara said softly, tugging him towards the shade of a sheltered corner of the grounds.

"That can be arranged, I'm definitely not going anywhere," Clay moaned, the words muffled against her lips when she pinned him to the boundary wall of the campus grounds. And the fact that ice cream would just have to wait became an unspoken agreement in the whirlwind of their love.


End file.
